Toyota Camry Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 7,186 NHTSA complaints, the Toyota Camry years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2020 — the worst logged up to 3.8× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by body failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated caution
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,176 | 477 | 8 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 1,408 | 652 | 10 | AVOID |
| 2010 | 610 | 264 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2011 | 620 | 267 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2012 | 642 | 400 | 2 | AVOID |
| 2013 | 301 | 176 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 11 | 7 | 3 | N/A |
| 2015 | 268 | 217 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 182 | 107 | 2 | BEST |
| 2017 | 148 | 75 | 3 | BEST |
| 2018 | 726 | 560 | 8 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 385 | 275 | 6 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 263 | 132 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 153 | 51 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2022 | 57 | 28 | 1 | BEST |
| 2023 | 58 | 26 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2024 | 45 | 16 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2025 | 133 | 38 | 1 | SOLID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Toyota Camry. Full methodology.
Common Toyota Camry problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Toyota Camry are body, engine, transmission. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Dashboard deterioration and melting with sticky surface
· Toyota Camry 2008–2011Corroborated by 33 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 599 body complaints across 2008–2011. Owner-reported repair cost $1,500.
Dashboard deterioration and melting with sticky surface
· Toyota Camry 2008–2011Corroborated by 33 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 599 body complaints across 2008–2011. Owner-reported repair cost $1,500.
Excessive oil consumption
· Toyota Camry 2008–2017Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 563 engine complaints across 2008–2017, typically 120,000–137,000 miles.
Excessive oil consumption
· Toyota Camry 2008–2017Corroborated by 6 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 563 engine complaints across 2008–2017, typically 120,000–137,000 miles.
Transmission shudder and vibration
· Toyota Camry 2012–2014Corroborated by 20 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 218 transmission complaints across 2012–2014, typically 20,000–210,000 miles.
Transmission shudder and vibration
· Toyota Camry 2012–2014Corroborated by 20 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 218 transmission complaints across 2012–2014, typically 20,000–210,000 miles.
Why these years stand out
2008 Toyota Camry: 1,176 owner complaints on federal record, 477 of them severe, plus 8 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2009 Toyota Camry: 1,408 owner complaints on federal record, 652 of them severe, plus 10 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2010 Toyota Camry: 610 owner complaints on federal record, 264 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2011 Toyota Camry: 620 owner complaints on federal record, 267 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2012 Toyota Camry: 642 owner complaints on federal record, 400 of them severe, plus 2 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2018 Toyota Camry: 726 owner complaints on federal record, 560 of them severe, plus 8 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2019 Toyota Camry: 385 owner complaints on federal record, 275 of them severe, plus 6 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
2020 Toyota Camry: 263 owner complaints on federal record, 132 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Camry.
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FAQ
What years of the Toyota Camry should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Toyota Camry years to avoid are 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2020 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by body issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Toyota Camry?
The 2016, 2017 and 2022 Toyota Camry show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Toyota Camry verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Toyota Camry's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Toyota Camry before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Toyota Camry reliable?
The Toyota Camry's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 7,186 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2020 rate "avoid", while 2016, 2017 and 2022 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Toyota Camry?
The most-reported problem area for the Toyota Camry is body, followed by engine and transmission. Confirmed failures include dashboard deterioration and melting with sticky surface, dashboard deterioration and melting with sticky surface, excessive oil consumption. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Toyota Camry across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Toyota Camry, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.